William gray



.(No Mom 21.)

W. GRAY. TELEPHONE TOLL APPARATUS.

No. 593,962. I Patented Nov. 16,1897.

NITED STAT S PATENT Enron.

\VILLIAM GRAY, OF HARTFORD, CONNEOTICUT,ASSIGNOR TO THE GRAY TELEPHONE PAY STATION COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TELEPHONE TOLL APPARATUS. I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,962, dated November 16, 1897. Application filed February 8, 1897. Serial No. 622,578. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GRAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone Toll Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, whereby any one skilled in the art can make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved device by the use of which a signal sounded by the payment of toll for the use of the telephone instrument at any station may be clearly heard at the central office, the sound being conducted over the line-wire in the same wayas a vocal sound.

A further object is to dispense with the use of any hollow or tubular deflector for this purpose and to make use of the post or part used to supportthe transmitter.

To this end my invention consists in the combination of the coin channel-plate, the transmitter-arm and transmitter, and a rigid connecting-tie; and it further consists in the details of the parts making up the apparatus and in the combination of such parts, as more particularly hereinafter described inthe claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a detail view,'in side elevation, of a part of a-telephone toll apparatus embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view showing the top of the signal-box and relative location of the transmitter-support and channel-plate.

In the accompanying drawings theletter a denotes a back board or like support for a set of telephone instruments such as are in common use, including the magneto-bell, a telephone, transmitter, and battery. In addition to these parts in my improved system of mechanical signals in a toll-collecting device a signal-box b is used, such box containing a coin channel-plate c and signals (1, usually bells or gongs, with a part arranged so that the falling coins inserted through a slot in the top of the signal-box shall in falling strike the signal, the sound of which is conveyed to the central office. In this system for several years a hollow post or collapsible tube, called a deflector, has been used, such tube being arranged over an opening in the Wall of the box and with its upper end extend- -sound of the bell to thetransmitter.

ing to a position substantially opp'ositethe mouth of the transmitter, so that the sound of the signal within the signal-box may be more readily conducted without obstruction to the diaphragm of the transmitter.

I have found by experiment that the tubular deflector may be dispensed with without disadvantage, provided close contact can be maintained between the metal channel-plate to which the signal-bell is attached and the metal post or part on which the transmitter is supported. In the form of my improvement herein illustrated a hole a is made in the cover of the signal-box, and over this is secured the base 6 of a transmitter-post e. To this post the arm f of the transmitter fis pivoted, so as to permitof the usual up-anddown adjustment of the transmitter to accommodate the various heights of the users of the instrument. A rigid tie g is firmly connected to the channel-plate and extends from there to the base of the transmitter-post, to which it is also secured, forming, as near as possible, a metallic circuit from the signalbell d to the transmitter f for conducting itfie e best results are obtained when the contact and connection between the transmitter-support and the metallic channel-plate are close and practically continuous.

In prior apparatuses of this general class as used for a number of years by me the slotplate and channel-plate have beensecured to the wooden top of the signal-box, and at a distance therefrom a metallic transmitter-support has been secured. In instances where such transmitter-support has been solid the signals sounded by the coin have been very faint and practically indistinguishable over any considerable length of wire. By the use of a hollow deflector a great gain in clearness of the signal was obtained. The fact that the coin channel-plate and the transmitter-support were both fastened to the same side or wall of the signal-box would aid the transmission of the sound made by the falling coin, but by directly connecting the channel-plate and transmitter-support, either by placing these two parts in actual contact or by the use of a rigid tie, as g, a gain is made in clearness and distinctnessof the signal. In fact, I have proved by experiment that this direct contact of the two parts, or their connection by a rigid tie, is essential to the clear sounding and transmission of the signals in the apparatus.

The metallic part of the channel-plate and the transmitter-support, When such parts are in actual contact or connected by metal strips, are more or less charged with a current of electricity, but whether this fact is or not a factor in the better transmission of the signals has not yet been clearly determined, but the fact that a greatly-improved signal device can be obtained by the means described has been clearly shown by tests.

I claim as my invention- 1. In combination with the receiving and transmitting part of a telephone apparatus, a metallic channel-plate supporting a signhl WILLIAM GRAY.

WVitnesses CHAS. L. BURDETT, ARTHUR B. JENKINS. 

